Racing car



P. TARUFFI RACING CAR Aug. 26, 1952 Filed Oct. 12, 1949 m i W Du Patented Aug. 26, 1952 Application October 12, 1949, Serial No. 120,843

' In Italy October 23, 1948 I Claims.

The present invention relates to a motor car which is quite different from the frame or body of the standard motor vehicles known up to the present. a

The car substantially consists of three parallel elongated streamlined parts, disposed with their length'inthe direction of motion; the said parts are so placed that the axes of two of them lie on the same horizontal plane, whilst the axis of the third lies on a plane placed higher than the one afore mentioned, and .on the vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of the whole unit at the same time; or on another parallel plane situated not far from it. Therefore the intersection of those three axes with a perpendicular plane consists of three points, vertices of. a triangle which has its base downwards. I

The control devices, the motors, the driver and the eventual passengers will be placed inthe afore mentioned three parts so as to provide a streamlined vehicle, having better stability and handiness than the standard vehiclesknown .up to the present, on account of the weights being placed prevailingly towards the midst of the unit and the drivers seat being displaced towards the rear end of the car.

A motor set is designed for the present invention, consisting of two twin motors placed in the two lateral elongated bodies which conceal the four wheels within their outline at least for the major part. Each motor is placed between the two wheels so that their weight has a very low centre of gravity and a small moment of inertia in respect of the vertical axis. passing from the centre of gravity. All this allowsa better stability and handiness of the vehicle to be attained.

The driver and the eventual passengers as well as the control devices are placed in the central part which is displaced towards the rear end of the car so as to allow a better driving position to be had for the driver on'curved lines and to displace the air pressure towardsthe rear end of the vehicle as well.

The whole unit consists of the three 'afore mentioned parts, one being rigidly connected with the can be tubes, cross bars or other shapedconnecting members.

The present invention has in fact for its #objectto provide a motor car having a minimum frontal section, the best coefficient of form and-a low placed centre of gravity in which the passengers and drivers seats are placed far from the motor unit and lifted from the 'ground seas to give the best visibility; the-maximum possible room is moreover at disposalfor the motorqunit and the control devices,

It is known in fact that theresistance to travel for avcar travelling on a road is due to its main section, to the coefficient of form, to thereciprocal distance of the parts,and to the distance and adequately form-of the parts'which are placed nearest to the ground surface.

The present invention provides a frameior gers and drivers seat are placed to be situated at a distance from the ground whilst the other two parts where the motors'are placed and the wheels'concealed have a streamlined form, preferably a torpedo form, having a minimum frontal section even the section of the vehicle which faces the ground'is highly reduced.

The accompanying drawing shows a construction of the invention in an illustrative manner and not as limiting the invention. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the vehicle in plan. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional plan of the vehicle taken on its central axis. Fig. 3 shows a front view of the vehicle. H In the drawings the whole frame isschematic'ally shown, the accessory parts, the mechanical transmissions and all the elements which are-not main members and can be designed in different ways according, to standard technical knowledge, known up to the present, not being shown.

The frame of the vehicle consists of three elongated bodies I, l, and 2. The two parallel parts I and l have parallel axes disposed in the directionfof motion and. placed on the same horizontal plane. The part Zhasa minor length than the other two andis placedbetweenthem at a superior height." The three parts 1', If; 2 are rigidly connected one with the other by tubes or cross members, which constitute the connecting members and if hollow, the control transmission members can be set within them. It; is

evident that the'central body-2 'may be connected with the lateral parts Iv and l' by means of a continuous frame which coversgthe afore v'fsaid connecting members ortakes their placer The wheels 6 are concealed by the parts I and I the two right wheels being placed within one of them, the two left wheels within the other. It is evident that if the wheels are more than four all the wheels placed on the right side will be concealed by one elengated body and all those placed on the left side of the vehicle by the other. The wheels project from the bodies to the minimum possible extent allowed byfthefispringqsuspension. One moto'r "is placed ineach of "the two bodies I and I set between the two wheels concealed in it so that the centre of gravity lies" as low as possible, as aforesaid, and the moment of inertia, calculated with regard to the vertical axis passing from the centre of gravity*-oi-'the-* vehicle has a minimum value aswellas theironw tal section of the body within which themotor is set. The motors are connected by a transverse connecting member.

Inserting and disengaging devices will be designed- 156i the said transmission -so tliat the transmission of motion mi'g-lit bpa'rridintdeffet b'y each of the -rnotors independently- 'rfie passengers' {and drive? and the" control deav ces are "placed in the body 21 -"Il-ie dr ive1 s 'cab Huey-have differentshapes and dimensions according td tlieniiniben of 'seats' which must-be placed in it as well-"as to' th'e {stability conditions petite whole unitEto' thes'cope of the vehicle :and t tlie' niaximum designed speed."

Itis evident that the shape and-[position'iof 'th body [with regard to the arts ands! will fbe designed so as-togiveth'e best-visibility and'driv lag-"conditions forthe driveri- It must be-inoted that me connecting m'ember s may-be shaped; so asto'haveareduction 'of the resistance tomotion and be partly or wholly conceald within cases smamv'connectea 'with' th'e lateral bodlest V Ifiiring nowparticularlydescribed and-"ascertaine'd-fth'e nature'of my said invehtion andiin what manner-'the same is to be 'errormed; Lee:- da e-that what reams-: 7

1-E--A&remoticonscomprising; ln -coinbinati'on, threenew body portions each of wh ichfiha'sa streamlined outer configurati n; twoof saidhob low body portions being substantially identical and"locatedon' opposite sides of'-thevehicle and thgthirdhollow-body portion being 'loca'ted 'between said two identical-hollow body portiohs5the said third hollow body portion being of a shorter length than said-"two; identical hollow-body porhens and being docatedifi a; substantially raised position with respect 'to"said"two 'id'enticaI body portions-and rearwardly' of tlie front erids of said twdid tical hollow'body'portions and the outer e'sfof each ot said' tWo' idehtical liollow' body portions ohthe sides thereof distant fromisaid time hollow body 'portioii oeing-continuous from a shorter length than said two identical hollow body portions and being located rearwardly of the front ends of said two identical hollow body portions and in a substantially raised position with respect to said two identical hollow body portions, a portion of the outer surface of said third body portion being transparent so as to permit the vehicle to be controlled from said body portion; a plurality'of barfimembersfixedly interconnecting the said three hollow body portions so as to provide relatively large spaces therebetween; four wheel members for supporting the vehicle fori'rolling movement, the said wheel members being rotatably mounted in the front and rear ends ofsaid two identical hollow body portions, respectively,- andsubstantially less than one half of-:said .wheel members projecting from said two identical hollow body portions; and a pair of enginesfor driving the said Wheel members, the said engines being centrally located in each of said two identical hollowebody zportions, respectively; .betwe'en' the wheel-members located at thefront and rear ends of said identical. hollow-.bodwportions. so as to substantially balance the vehiclelandaso as .to provide :the vehicle with.;a. low -:centen; of

gravity."

3: An Lautomobilecomprisingy; in combination. three transversely'spaced'separate hollow bodies. each of which has a. streamlined-outer configure: tion; two .of said hollow. vbodiesbeing substantially identical. anddocated onzzopposite sides1of theeveuhiele and the-thirdhollow body beinglocatedbe: tween said: substantially'identical. bodies: a;plue rality of transverse ,bar members connecting :said identical :hollowr: bodies. with: saidc third hollow body and supportingisaid third ;body=. inrspaced', substantiallyiparallel rel-ationllb etweemsaid idemtical bodies; :a .p'luralityzof connectingibarimemberssconnecting. said-identical hollow. bodies ate.- gether; and: maintaining said .identicalbodies: in spaced. and substantially parallel; relation: four wheel amemb'ers: for" supporting the vehicle: for rolling-movement, the saidwheel members-be n rotatably mountedlinsthe-iront'and rearaaendspf said; two identical 3 hollow bodies; respectively: and a pair of engines for drivingstheisaidiwheel members, the said: engines; being substantially centrally. located: in each; of: said: two identical hollow bodyxportions; respectively/7, bfetweemthe pair; of wheel members located at the-irontzzand rean'endsof eachvofrsairhidentical' hollow bodies.

4. .An automobilescomprising; incombination, three transversely spacedgseparaterhollow bodies, each oi-which haszga streamlined-outer configuration, ,twoof .said-hollow'bodies beingsubstantially identicalandilocatedon opposite sides of'the 'vehicle andthe; thirdhollow body:being located between said substantially identical bodies;.a plurality of; transverse bar members; connectingsaid identical; hollow bodies withsaid third hollow bodyand supporting. said third: hollow". body in substantially raisediposition'with respect tosaid stantiallycentrally located in each .of' saidtwo identical hollow body portions, respectively, between the pair of wheel members located at the front and rear ends of each of said identical hollow bodies.

5. An automobile comprising, in combination, three transversely spaced separate hollow bodies, each of which has a streamlined outer configuration, two of said hollow bodies being substantially identical and located on opposite sides of the vehicle and the third hollow body being located between said substantially identical bodies and being of shorter length than said two identical hollow bodies and being located rearwardly of the front ends of said two identical hollow bodies; a plurality of transverse bar members connecting said identical hollow bodies with said third hollow body and supporting said third body in spaced, substantially parallel relation between said identical bodies; a plurality of connecting bar members connecting said identical hollow bodies to- 20 gether and maintaining said identical bodies in spaced and substantially parallel relation; four wheel members for supporting the vehicle for rolling movement, the said wheel members being rotatably mounted in the front and rear ends of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 82,044 Martin Sept, 16, 1930 D.115,854 Loudy July 25, 1939 D. 120,187 Silverstein Apr. 23, 1940 1,822,775 Henninger Sept. 8, 1931 2,030,548 Smeets Feb. 11, 1936 2,132,450 Wolf Oct. 11, 1938 

